Citizen reports assault: Top cop orders inquiry

A day after HT reported how a 32-year-old business development manager was turned away by the police control room and the Bandra police when he approached them to report an assault on a senior citizen, the deputy commissioner of police (operations) initiated an inquiry into the matter.

The Bandra police, who had earlier told Vidyut Lokur to email his complaint to them, are now recording his statement. Lokur, a Bandra resident, saw a senior citizen being assaulted in a car ahead of him at Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road on April 29, after which he called the police controls.

He was told to inform the traffic police. When he approached the Bandra police 40 minutes later, they told him to send an email.

After HT reported the story on Wednesday, Keshav Patil, deputy commissioner of police (operations) ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident after procuring Lokur’s name, contact number, the time he made the call to the control room and the place of offence from HT.

“Every conversation on the police help line gets recorded on an automated system. As part of the inquiry, we will go through the conversation between Lokur and the control room staff. And if the response of the staff is found inappropriate, departmental action will be initiated against the concerned personnel. The inquiry should culminate in the next three days,” said Patil.